Battle of Marec

Battle of Marec
Part of Kosovo War
Date 18–23 April 1999 Location Marec Highlands, Kosovo Result KLA victory
Belligerents
Kosovo Liberation Army	Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Commanders and leaders
Adem Shehu Isa Kastrati   † Rahim Beqiri Salih Mustafa	unknown
Units involved
Llap Operational Area: Brigade 153 Guerilla BIA Karadak Operational Area: Brigade 171 Brigade 172 Brigade 173	Armed Forces Of Serbia And Montenegro
Casualties and losses
27 killed [1] [2]	Dozens of soldiers killed [3]
16 civilians killed [3]

The Battle of Marec was a military engagement between the Kosovo Liberation Army and the Yugoslav People's Army, that occurred on the 18 to 23 April 1999.

Background

The Marec Highlands came unter KLA control after a successful operation conducted by the KLA in March 1998. Two operational areas were involved in the fighting: the Llap Operational Area with Brigade 153 and the Karadak Operational Area with Brigades 171, 172 and 173. The headquarters of the Karadak Zone was located in the Hajdaraj district of Marec, while the 153rd brigade of the ZOLL was located in Zllash. ^{[4] [5]}

Battle

On April 18, 1999, Serbian forces launched an offensive against the KLA-held Marec Highlands. Taking advantage of the foul weather conditions, the Serbian forces aimed to remove the KLA from the region and encircle their brigades. The Serbian forces attacked from multiple directions, resulting in bloody battles throughout the area. Initially, the Serbian forces clashed with fighters from the KLA's 153rd Brigade in Kukaj, where several Serb soldiers were killed, prompting a temporary retreat. However, Serbian artillery bombarded KLA positions during their retreat. The KLA fighters managed to repel the Serbian forces multiple times during their attempts to capture strategic points. Serbian forces suffered significant losses in personnel and equipment, particularly along the Viti-Gerbesh line. Meanwhile, the KLA had to provide protection and food for the population that had moved from Pristina to the Marec Highlands, which consisted of around 80,000 inhabitants. As a result of their losses, the Serbian command, targeted the civilian population of Makoc, resulting in the massacre of 153 people. ^{[6] [7] [8] [ verification needed ]}

References

1. "Drejt fshatit Marec në Gollak, ku kalaja e Artanës krenohet me 27 dëshmorët e lirisë së fshatit". January 15, 2019.
2. "Kurti nderon 17 dëshmorët dhe 11 martirët e Betejës së Marecit - Gazeta Enigma". gazetaenigma.com. April 18, 2023.
3. "Beteja e Marecit (18-23 prill 1999)". infosot.com. April 17, 2019.
4. Krasniqi, Egzona (2020-04-18). "21 vjet nga beteja në Malësinë e Gollakut" (in Albanian). Retrieved 2023-06-14.
5. Sopjani, Naser. "Lufta e UÇK-së në Malësinë e Gollakut, Grashticë, Keçekollë". academia.edu.
6. Qeriqi, Ahmet (2023-04-18). "Beteja e fituar te Shkëmbi i Gradinës, më 18 prill 1999 shënoi fitoren vendimtare të ruajtjes së pozicioneve të UÇK-së, në Rrafshnaltën e Drenicës". Radio Kosova e Lirë. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
7. "Beteja e Marecit (18-23 prill 1999)". 2LONLINE (in Albanian). 2017-04-17. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
8. ""Të rënët janë motivim për ta dashur atdheun e për ta ruajtur lirinë", Haradinaj kujton dëshmorët e Prishtinës". Albanian Post.